[LMS] The mission
After having, 20 years ago, missed the opportunity to see this 1986 movie by Roland Joffe', I caught it recently. The movie is quite rich and I liked it much; and of all the themes that the movie deals with I shall just talk about one.
One of the keystones of the philosophy of capitalism (capitalism has an underlying philosophy besides being a awy of organizing things IMHO) is that "productive" creativity belongs just to those who are trying to achieve their personal interest. Maybe the creativity of the artist and the scientist could be exercised in a disinterested way (that would be the "ars gratia artis"), but according to the philosophy of capitalism that can't be done for the productive and organizational side of things, for that creativity that always finds new energy to manipulate things in order to make easier and smoother the way they work.
Similar ideas are articulated for example in a book by Eric Hoffer, "The true believer", that some not unknown person lent me - and as far as I known is a popular and widely read book; and naturally, the Economist praises these ideas, a bit every week.
It seems to me that the example of the "reducciones", communities organized by the Jesuits with and for the indios in Paraguay in 1600, which is the main topic of this movie, points to the exact opposite direction; I saw in it a creative and organizative energy of the same kind of the one that th eowner of a small company may put in his own activity - but without the spur of caring for one's own personal interest. At least for me, this is quite a significant example.
One of the keystones of the philosophy of capitalism (capitalism has an underlying philosophy besides being a awy of organizing things IMHO) is that "productive" creativity belongs just to those who are trying to achieve their personal interest. Maybe the creativity of the artist and the scientist could be exercised in a disinterested way (that would be the "ars gratia artis"), but according to the philosophy of capitalism that can't be done for the productive and organizational side of things, for that creativity that always finds new energy to manipulate things in order to make easier and smoother the way they work.
Similar ideas are articulated for example in a book by Eric Hoffer, "The true believer", that some not unknown person lent me - and as far as I known is a popular and widely read book; and naturally, the Economist praises these ideas, a bit every week.
It seems to me that the example of the "reducciones", communities organized by the Jesuits with and for the indios in Paraguay in 1600, which is the main topic of this movie, points to the exact opposite direction; I saw in it a creative and organizative energy of the same kind of the one that th eowner of a small company may put in his own activity - but without the spur of caring for one's own personal interest. At least for me, this is quite a significant example.
posted by JTS at
Monday, September 03, 2007
2 Comments:
I think capitalism is silent on a the question of intent and purpose; That's why Adam Smith wrote The Theory of Moral Sentiments before he wrote Wealth of Nations.
The Economist is always wrong. I don't know how they do it.
By
Mike Beversluis, at 03 September, 2007 14:17
Let us say that capitalism is generally silent, but when questioned directly often answers (sometimes it is helpful to ask questions directly to people). But apart the joke-ly twist, your reply is a spur to make my thoughts on the subject more precise and especially founded on more solid bases, and thanks for that.
By
JTS, at 03 September, 2007 16:03
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